Mitra Dilmaghani
Fatima Fahimnia
Mohammadreza Abooyee Ardekan

Purpose: The study aimed at presenting an appropriate framework for designing and implementing knowledge management projects within research and knowledge-based organizations (research centers and universities) while focusing on the knowledge culture.Methodology: First, the available literature was reviewed and the influential indices and factors regarding the knowledge culture were extracted. Then, a conceptual model for evaluating the knowledge culture was designed. Finally, in order to measure the validity of the test instrument, expert judgment and interview were employed. To measure the validity of the data-gathering instrument, a questionnaire was distributed to the researchers and employees at the central libraries of the University of Tehran. It was examined through content validity and factorial analysis. To assess the reliability of the instrument, internal consistency and Cronbach alpha were considered.Findings: The components, dimensions, and influential factors with regard to the knowledge culture were identified through a review of the literature on knowledge management. Then, a conceptual model was developed for the knowledge culture. The results of the evaluation of the instrument revealed a significance relationship between and among all the factors under the study. This confirmed high internal consistency of several dimensions of the questionnaire. Obtaining a Cronbach alpha coefficient of more than 7.0 also pointed to the reliability of the instrument.

Knowledge management, Knowledge culture, Knowledge culture dimensions, Knowledge culture peripheral factors, Knowledge-based organization